We don't currently have specific deadlines for applications. We accept and process applications throughout the year, for Fall and Spring semesters. However, AU Graduate School requires that our recommendation on any one application by a domestic US applicant to be made at least 45 days (90 days for international applicants) before the start of the semester of interest. Therefore, domestic applicants wishing to be considered for Fall semester admission need to have all of their application material submitted by mid-June (end of April for international applicants). Domestic applicants wishing to be considered for Spring semester admission need to have all of their application material submitted by mid-November (for international applicants it is the end of September). For full consideration, we recommend that you submit all your application materials early. Applications received or completed after the expected period will be reviewed and considered for the following semester.

If you submit some application documents but have not yet submitted the application, we will retain the documents in our files. Once your application is submitted, we will put the application and application documents together and start the review process. If your transcripts not yet ready, you could either send available documents or wait until you get these missing application items to send with your completed application. The HOSP graduate admission committee will review applications only when they are complete.

When reviewing the application, the HOSP graduate admission committee will evaluate the application as a whole, considering the applicant's background, industry experiences, transcripts, recommendation letters, personal statement, previous research experience, and any other supporting material. No single item of the application requirements leads the decision. Generally speaking, if one measure is below expectation, we require other indicators to be commensurately high enough to balance it. For example, applicants with lower GPA may be offered admission provided that other aspects of their application show evidence of distinctive potential, such as professional experience and proper fit with the HOSP program.

Applicants to our graduate programs are not required to submit GRE/GMAT scores. Applicants may voluntarily elect to submit exam scores if they decide to do so. To have your GRE scores reported to us, you must provide the Educational Testing Service (ETS website) with the institutional code for Auburn University. 1005 is Auburn University institution code. Our departmental code is not necessarily required; your scores will be sent to us as long as you provide ETS with the correct AU institutional code. When sending your GMAT scores, you can provide ETS with a code of any academic department within Auburn University; regardless of what AU departmental code you provide ETS, the score report will be received by the Graduate School first, who will in turn add it to your online application.

The HOSP graduate admission committee reviews applications on a monthly basis. Once an application is complete, the HOSP graduate admission committee will review it in the following monthly review cycle. Applications which are submitted well in advance of the expected period will be reviewed once completed. The HOSP graduate admission committee will recommend to the Graduate School either admission or denial. The Graduate School will in turn officially notify the applicant of the final decision. Although this entire process is quite efficient, there are several factors that affect the time frame for admission notifications. Generally speaking, decisions are usually made within 4 to 5 weeks after the completed application has been received.

Many of our current on-campus graduate students are on HOSP graduate assistantships. The assistantship includes full tuition waiver, a contribution toward health insurance and a monthly stipend. These assistantships are competitive, however, and their number is less than the number of students; priority is usually given to PhD students. Students on assistantships are involved in such tasks as helping faculty with research and courses, supervising labs, and independently teaching undergraduate courses.

Students apply to these assistantships after they are admitted to the HOSP graduate program. Once admitted, the student can express their interest in obtaining an assistantship by contacting the HOSP graduate program officer. The request will then be forwarded to the HOSP program for discussion. Available assistantships, if any, will then be assigned.

In addition to graduate assistantships, there are a number of fellowships and scholarships available within the Department, College of Human Sciences, Graduate School, and the University.